Common Dead Premieres New Fear Factory Cover Of "Flashpoint"

Metalunderground.com is premiering the one-man cover for the Fear Factory song "Flashpoint," recorded by deathrash/groove outfit Common Dead. The track originally hails from the 1995 album "Demanufacture." All instrumentation and mixing for the cover was the solo effort of Common Dead's founder, Andrew Laurenson, including the recreation of sound bytes meant to mirror samples in the original. Check out the cover below.

Comments Laurenson: "This was a favorite song of mine that tends to get overlooked by some. It starts heavy, reaches up for melody, then crashes down heavy again. A short and sweet punch to the face that also hadn't been covered to death. This raw mix was made around sessions for the 'Diatribe' album as an homage to the masters of futurist metal."

Common Dead released its flagship effort "Diatribe" (reviewed here) in early 2012 after relocating to Montreal, Canada from the United States. The effort received warm reviews from press, including 3/5 from Metal Underground and 4/5 from Brutalism. Following the release, plans were announced to expand the official roster of Common Dead and induct new members for upcoming efforts.

"Common Dead was never exclusively a solo project, and that was something I voiced early on through websites and interviews" explains Laurenson. "Each time I would find myself playing all the instruments, it was just a matter of circumstances I was facing at the time and wanting to get something done in spite of it all. I'm looking to burn that cycle. I'm glad I got those solo works in the books, I'm proud of that era, but now I'm interested in starting a new era, and having more of a team."

Submissions from possible bandmates in the Montreal region are welcome at commondead@gmail.com. For more info and updates, join the band's Facebook page.

Is this a joke? Seriously? Im not trying to be a d***, but Im confused if this is a leftover post from April Fools or something. Either way, this is absolutely awful. Whoever is doing this needs to choose a new career, or quit doing this on their own. They could benefit from other band members, and even studio engineers who know what they're doing.

This was just a terrible imitation of Fear Factory. Nothing original or stylistic that makes it worth checking out. Awful.

yeah you are being a d***. this was a damn good effort considering it was one dude having to do what four guys did at first. i'd say quit being a troll and give the guy props for the effort, it is only a cover and evidently a 'raw mix' since you can't read.

goddamn dude, i didn't exactly say i was blown away by the cover either. it is GOOD in my opinion, actually very close to the original, even if the mixing is poor. regardless, i give credit where credit is due. i could not care less otherwise. in actuality, you sound like you have some kind of personal vendetta against the guy as solo artist or something when really you are the one who needs to 'get over yourself', quit being a d***, as you know you are being.

This is f*kin sick actually. It is a relief to hear a one man thing that is not some damn cliche black metal guy in face paint programming non-stop blast beats until you're blue in the face. It is almost a direct replication of the initial release for better or worse. One thing though: the sound quality is ugly. Almost maddeningly ugly. It should be re-mixed.

And to the other guy: this picture is the Archetype/Transgression era. Definitely outdated. -_-

The solo bands who u always see on metal underground (Ihsahn, Devin Townsend, Autumn Eyes, etc...) aren't cliche black metal with face painting and programmed drums? Or were u just referencing like solo black metal in general? Cuz there are tons of em if thats the case. Didnt really think f is as black metal though. The cover isnt that bad. Not something id reccomend.

^ Insahn doesn't actually play all the instruments though. In fact this thing might be closer to Bathory or Toxic Holocaust in that respect. I must be the only one who read that it was never a solo project but rather a band that had some solo albums out there.

And I have to say....... for the guy who thinks it is so "Awful", it shows a lot you had come back if not for any other reason but to see if someone answered your hyper criticism. "Hmm" indeed..... All covers by their very existence are essentially "imitations", chief. ;-)